Fun With Job Interviews
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:thumbsup: good on you! In one interview I was asked some 'quick fire'(that's how she put it) questions by the HR representative. The one which really did it for me was - "Which is more important - getting it done right or getting it done quickly?" I didn't know whether to ask if she was being serious in her questioning. As for "how would you handle someone who farts?", at that stage I would have been tempted to say that I would turn it into a competition and see if I could fart more loudly than them.
“That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”
― Christopher Hitchens
I had a recruiter (woman, young, 23ish, california flower child "like wow man") ask me how much WPF experience I had. I said something like "5-6 years. She then asked how much XAML experience I had, to which I said "That's WPF. Same thing" She said "No, they're not the same". After 10 more minutes of explaining it to her she said "The client sent me these questions. Could you help me understand them so I can do a better job interviewing" When I finally got the client on the phone I told him about it and he just laughed. I didn't take the job.
If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.
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Yep, I had four interviews and a test with one place - two phone interviews, two meetings and a psychometric test. I didn't even have a technical test. I picked up off the grapevine that the place had pissed off a few recruiters doing the same thing to other candidates. Incidentally I remember back in the 80's and 90's, when in the UK a company would actually pay your travel costs to get you to the interview. Times have certainly changed.
“That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”
― Christopher Hitchens
The color of the database Dilbert Comic Strip on 1995-11-17 | Dilbert by Scott Adams[^] :cool:
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Would you get in the car and drive an hour or so only to find out you're not qualified? Or That there's something about the company that you don't like? I had a phone interview with the Manager of Developers and a recruiter. I don't remember the subject but he asked me about some skill I needed, and when I asked him a question back he said "I'm asking the questions here!" I promptly hung up. Would you get into your interview clothes and drive to their office only to have something like that happen? To say I don't do phone interviews is silly and arrogant. Neither you nor they can make a solid decision without more than one talk. Both parties need time to think it over and follow up.
If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.
Kevin Marois wrote:
Would you get in the car and drive an hour or so only to find out you're not qualified?
There is a vacancy and a description thereof. There is a resume. Compare both and you can find out without starting the car.
Kevin Marois wrote:
Or That there's something about the company that you don't like?
Aw, yes, very important. If there is a theoretical match, then I will be wanting to see the IT-department, and talk to some of the people there.
Kevin Marois wrote:
I had a phone interview with the Manager of Developers and a recruiter. I don't remember the subject but he asked me about some skill I needed, and when I asked him a question back he said "I'm asking the questions here!" I promptly hung up.
Like I said, a phone interview is a waste of time.
Kevin Marois wrote:
Would you get into your interview clothes and drive to their office only to have something like that happen?
Having a phone-interview does not protect you much from that happening in the interview that would follow. I've had some strange interviews, and a share of strange employers.
Kevin Marois wrote:
To say I don't do phone interviews is silly and arrogant.
Yes, that was what one of the recruiters said.
Kevin Marois wrote:
Neither you nor they can make a solid decision without more than one talk. Both parties need time to think it over and follow up.
I've had five or six different employers, none of them needed more than one single talk. Sorry, but you make it sound like a woman who is shopping for shoes. It's not like dating where you need to make up your mind who you like more; we're in it for the money, not the general likeableness.
Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^][](X-Clacks-Overhead: GNU Terry Pratchett)
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Kevin Marois wrote:
Would you get in the car and drive an hour or so only to find out you're not qualified?
There is a vacancy and a description thereof. There is a resume. Compare both and you can find out without starting the car.
Kevin Marois wrote:
Or That there's something about the company that you don't like?
Aw, yes, very important. If there is a theoretical match, then I will be wanting to see the IT-department, and talk to some of the people there.
Kevin Marois wrote:
I had a phone interview with the Manager of Developers and a recruiter. I don't remember the subject but he asked me about some skill I needed, and when I asked him a question back he said "I'm asking the questions here!" I promptly hung up.
Like I said, a phone interview is a waste of time.
Kevin Marois wrote:
Would you get into your interview clothes and drive to their office only to have something like that happen?
Having a phone-interview does not protect you much from that happening in the interview that would follow. I've had some strange interviews, and a share of strange employers.
Kevin Marois wrote:
To say I don't do phone interviews is silly and arrogant.
Yes, that was what one of the recruiters said.
Kevin Marois wrote:
Neither you nor they can make a solid decision without more than one talk. Both parties need time to think it over and follow up.
I've had five or six different employers, none of them needed more than one single talk. Sorry, but you make it sound like a woman who is shopping for shoes. It's not like dating where you need to make up your mind who you like more; we're in it for the money, not the general likeableness.
Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^][](X-Clacks-Overhead: GNU Terry Pratchett)
Eddy Vluggen wrote:
I had a phone interview with the Manager of Developers and a recruiter. I don't remember the subject but he asked me about some skill I needed, and when I asked him a question back he said "I'm asking the questions here!" I promptly hung up.
Like I said, a phone interview is a waste of time.
That example was a classic reason to have a phone interview. It saved me a trip all the way down there to find out the manager was a jerk.
If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.
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Eddy Vluggen wrote:
I had a phone interview with the Manager of Developers and a recruiter. I don't remember the subject but he asked me about some skill I needed, and when I asked him a question back he said "I'm asking the questions here!" I promptly hung up.
Like I said, a phone interview is a waste of time.
That example was a classic reason to have a phone interview. It saved me a trip all the way down there to find out the manager was a jerk.
If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.
Kevin Marois wrote:
That example was a classic reason to have a phone interview. It saved me a trip all the way down there to find out the manager was a jerk.
Yes, one trip saved, versus continuously being called by recruiters. Would have cost me a trip, but also the satisfaction of calling out the manager on the spot.
Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^][](X-Clacks-Overhead: GNU Terry Pratchett)
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Yep, I had four interviews and a test with one place - two phone interviews, two meetings and a psychometric test. I didn't even have a technical test. I picked up off the grapevine that the place had pissed off a few recruiters doing the same thing to other candidates. Incidentally I remember back in the 80's and 90's, when in the UK a company would actually pay your travel costs to get you to the interview. Times have certainly changed.
“That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”
― Christopher Hitchens
I once travelled 3 hours for a job interview in Peterborough only to find the interviewer had called in sick and there was no one else to do the interview. I sent them an interview for 6 hours and refused to re-interview till they paid the invoice. They actually paid the invoice but by then I had taken another position.
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity RAH